1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for predicting human evaluation of the quality of sounds produced by operation of automotive components, and more specifically to the employment of such methods in the design of automotive power door lock mechanisms.
2. Prior Art
In the highly competitive automotive manufacturing industry, the perception of quality by customers is particularly important. Customer perception of quality of sound experienced during operation of certain vehicle components and systems is a major contributing factor to that perception of quality.
It is well known from consumer studies that the perceived noise during locking and unlocking of an automotive vehicle door through a power door lock actuator assembly produces widely varying perceptions of quality. The power door lock actuator assembly is a relatively complex assembly when viewed as a sound generator, owing in large part to the plurality of mechanical and electrical sounds generated. Prior art approaches to producing a pleasing quality-indicating sound for a potential customer have been more reactionary and developmental than analytical. There has been no design practice in the automotive industry which provides an analytical approach to designing power door lock actuator mechanisms which produce acceptable sound output to a user of the power door lock actuator mechanism.